(This story has been updated with new information.)
A fire broke out in the kitchen of the Palm Springs Cultural Center while a movie was being screened on the evening of Saturday, June 27.
Eric Gray, general manager for the center, told The Desert Sun on Sunday, June 28 that the fire started in the walls of the kitchen and most of the damage had been confined to that room, but he added that it was too early to speculate on the full extent.
The fire started around 7:30 p.m. Saturday while an audience watched “The Goodbye Girl,” a 1977 movie starring Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason. KESQ reported the Palm Springs Fire Department was dispatched around 7:35 p.m., and gained control of the fire by 8:18 p.m.
While the Palm Springs Fire Department could not provide details on the fire when contacted Sunday morning, witnesses saw smoke rising from the building around 7:50 p.m.
“Right now, we’re hesitant to turn the power back on until we talk to an electrician,” Michael Green, the executive director for the center said in a phone interview.
He added that the center would remain closed for the rest of Sunday and the nonprofit would try to reopen as soon as possible.
“We’re just glad there were people here last night and the fire department came quickly because it could have been way worse,” he said. “I think people just need to keep an eye out for updates. It’s really so early and we really don’t know anything at all yet in terms of next steps.”
There were no injuries from the fire, according to Smith.
A faint smell of smoke could still be detected in the main entrance to the center Sunday morning, which Green said could be addressed. He added that some of the theaters’ carpets had received water damage. However, the main movie theater had been relatively unscathed.
First opened in 1967 as a movie theater, the building was expanded in the mid-70s to add additional theater spaces. The venue shut down for much of the 90s before being purchased by philanthropists Ric and Rozene Supple, who renovated it and gifted it to the Cultural Center nonprofit in 2017.
The Cultural Center now hosts frequent events, like classic movie screenings and theater productions. The venue recently debuted Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” during a surprise screening at The Palm Springs 70MM Festival, the first time the movie had been shown to the public.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
Sam Morgen covers local government for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs Cultural Center theater relatively unscathed after fire
Reporting by Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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By Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
